By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MANILA, Philippines – Canada made history by qualifying for the 2023 FIBA World Cup Semifinals after beating Slovenia 100-89. A big credit must be given to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who led his team with a double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 8/12 from the field and 14/16 at the line.
Stopping by in the mixed zone, he commented on reaching the next stage with his national team, considering the goal is to fight until the end. “It feels good, but we are not satisfied. We didn’t come here only to get to the semifinals, we came here to try to get gold.”, the Oklahoma City Thunder guard said.
Talking about controlling their emotions during the game, Shai said they “don’t mind playing that way”, considering that “When you get here, basketball is gonna be passionate and a lot of energy into it”.
Finally, he commented on that third-quarter stretch which gave Canada the right push. “It was super big and pulled us away a little bit. We got stops, we grew offensively and defensively”, Gilgeous-Alexander added.
PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA World Cup
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